Moving the South Metro Denver Economy Forward

Column by Jeff Holwell

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By Jeff Holwell

Posted
9/28/11

At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, I believe our
greatest economic days are ahead of us, for both our country and
our community. I say this recognizing that the last decade included
9/11 and its aftermath, two foreign wars, the "Dot-Com" recession
and the "Great" recession, as well as the current threat to the
Euro and all of its economic implications. It all sounds so
daunting, and we are justified in feeling skeptical about the
future; however, a macro view of our economy and our history should
tell us a different story.

The United States is a growing country of 300 million people, we
are living longer and healthier lives than ever before, our values
of democracy and capitalism are thriving across the world (as
evidenced by surging and real freedoms provided to us by technology
or through the rapidly growing economies in the emerging "BRIC"
markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China), and we still remain a
country of innovators, manufacturers and the largest economy in the
world.

Our economic problems are real; however, many are
self-inflicted, and while they will be difficult to fix, they are
fixable. Take Social Security and Medicare for example. These were
entitlement programs crafted when people lived much shorter lives
and without today's medical technologies. Before we go bankrupt, we
must make tough choices, such as raising the retirement and
entitlement age, and we have certainly faced greater threats. These
sacrifices are minimal compared to those of our predecessors who
fought the Revolutionary, Civil or any of the two World Wars. Or
take the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. While it is
commonly reported that these emerging markets are economic threats,
isn't their success what we always hoped for as a capitalist
country? If so, perhaps we should view their emergence as a
fantastic success and a great opportunity for commerce in years to
come.

The story for South Metro Denver is similar. As a native of
Centennial (Arapahoe High class of ‘92), and former director of
business development for both Gov. Owens and Gov. Ritter (at the
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade), I
have witnessed the competition and can personally attest to South
Metro Denver's economic strengths. We are a growing region in a
growing state. We have more office space than Downtown Denver. We
host sophisticated industry clusters, including aerospace,
aviation, energy, financial services, health services, professional
servicers, technology and telecommunications. We have a strong
transportation, education and business infrastructure with a highly
educated workforce and a relatively low cost of doing business.
Finally, as icing on the cake, we have an unmatched quality of life
that, while difficult to quantify, certainly matters to a business
and its employees.

To compete for our economic future, we must lead and be
confident. This is the responsibility of each business, resident
and organization in our community. The South Metro Denver Chamber
of Commerce will do its part by executing a comprehensive business
retention, expansion and attraction strategy that includes the
business community as its ambassadors. Our initiative includes
interviewing 1,000 primary business leaders in South Metro Denver
over the next year, applaud their efforts to create wealth and jobs
in our community and enlist their support (or provide our help) to
growing their business and the local economy. We will work with our
business, community and economic development partners to market our
region as a thriving place of commerce and industry, and most
importantly we will inspire confidence and leadership in our
business community to move the local and national economy
forward.

From the Pax Romana to the Fall of Rome, the Roaring 20s to the
Great Depression, and the Dot-Com boom to the Dot-Com bust, our
world has experienced numerous economic cycles, yet commerce and
industry remains a central theme of our humanity. These cycles and
this reality will continue into our future. I believe we are
experiencing a great economic shift, and our fate lies in our own
hands. With intentional, inspired leadership from the business and
civic community, South Metro Denver will thrive and succeed, as
will our economy.